Thursday, November 15, 2007

Career Planning in PR

There really is no career planning in PR. You get your first job. You learn. You move on. Chuck Reese did an excellent job at explainingg how all of his jobs led him eventually owning his own PR company.

In his first job as a journalist he learned how to write. Reese emphasized how many PR practictioners do not know basic grammer. Related to this, learn how to interview. The two elements are nothing if you cannot tell a story. PR is more than press releases because reporters want stories. Lastly, if you cannot report the truth you have no credibility. Learn how to report.

This part of Reese's discussion resignated most with me. I admit that I do not practice writing as much as I should. It definitely motivated me to write as much as I can.

Reese and later Kim Englehardt and Nicole Hunnicutt did give me some hope when the discussion turned to what employers expect out of newly hired graduates. They do not expect you to know everything and certainly do not want you to act like you do. Whew.